Where are you guys doing your burnouts? I see some people doingit in the center of the water box. Others "burp" the gas in the box and heat the tires up at the very edge. They some people just pull through the box onto dry track and then roast them. I have even seen some people go around it and back up just after the box (I have seen slick guys do this too.) I know they go around it if they have a street tire on the front.

I am wondering what kind of tire you guys are using and how do you do your burny.....

When I use my bias plys I go around it and back up to the water box. Burp the throttle and then light them up just out side the box.

When I use my slicks I usally go through the box burp it and then light them up on the edge of the water box.

I am thinking of switching the way I do it and I'm wondering how you others do it.

-Terry-

 

You definately don't want to stay in the middle of the water. Doing that will cool off the tire as you pull out after the burnout.

I started backing into the water earlier this year because of inconsistent 60' times. I have regular street radials on the front, which were carrying a tread pattern of water past the burnout box which wasn't dried sufficiently by the time I drove over it with the now-warmed slicks. Backing in seems to have solved the problem.

FWIW, both BFG about their DR's and Hoosier about their Quicktime Pro DOTs said not to do a burnout - just turn them enough to clean the tires, "the traction is in the compound" (they both used those exact words in the quotes). I'll make a little smoke, but certainly not a big crowd-pleasing (and tire salesman pleasing) cloud.

 

One additional comment concerning blipping the throttle while driving through the water: Do that hard enough, and you'll spray the fender liner with water, which can drip down onto the slicks on the line or after you take off. Not desireable.

 

It depends where they stop me. I'm not sure if it's at the edge of the water box or just outside it.

The purpose of the water box is to just get the tires wet. A wet tire will spin easier than a dry tire. A wet tire won't chew the rubber off the tire as much either. Doing a dry tire burnout is hard on tires and driveline parts.

If done properly, you should roll through the water then stop just outside the box. You don't want to be spinning in the water since it will just through the water up onto the fenders and probably drip down on the starting line.

 

through the water (I have skinnies), burp the throttle, and then burnout outside of the water box! This is at etown, at LVD they dont use very much water at all, so i start it in the water and by the time the brakes grab I am slightly out!

 

At the track that I mostly frequent, as soon as the burn box guy gives me the sign to set my line lock, I don't. I blip my throttle in first gear, pull forward a foot or so, THEN set my line lock, perform my burnout (shifting into 3rd gear before releasing the line lock), and drive out under throttle. I try to let off the throttle before the tires grab, to ease any unnecessary shock to the converter. I started doing this procedure after coming back from inconsistent runs with water dripping out of my wheel wells. Keep in mind different burn box guys at different tracks will have you stop at different points to set your line lock (either in the water or slightly beyond). They also will have varying amounts of water in the box also, and you'll have to adjust your procedure accordingly. Best thing to do is closely watch as a spectator to actually see exactly where they are stopping the other cars (in relation to the water box) when racers are performing their burnouts.

A lot of guys have their own "pet" procedures, but this one works for me.

Check the vid clip in my sig line for details.

 

First, don’t spin, burp or do anything else to your tires in the water. All you’ll accomplish is coat the inside of your wheel well with water for it to conveniently drip down when you’re staged.

Best case, pull through the water and stop on the wet surface just past the box (or roll back into the water and then back forward if your track allows), so your tires are not in the water but not on dry pavement. Generally, start them spinning in first, slow to keep from spraying any excess water, then once you get them up to speed shift into second and hold it till the smoke changes (goes from sorta dull smoke to billowing) and let go of the brakes and roll out. Usually you’ll feel the tires lugging down as the heat goes up and you get in to the drier, stickier part of the launch pad… at that point you know you did it right.

No dry hops either, that does nothing but cool the tires and remove your nice, sticky warm rubber from the tires.

Don’t worry about someone telling you not to spin x tire because it won’t help, I haven’t seen one that it doesn’t help with. FWIW, I’ve run as fast as a 1.71 60’ on Goodyear radials in a 6 speed car (my '97 WS6), and with real drag tires typically I can get more hook then I need.

Here, not the best vid of my car (right after an accident, can you tell ), definitely not my best run (it was just short of 100* at the time and I had to let off at the top end because the hood started to lift, you’ll see why in the vid), crappy track, but probably the best one that I have of what I mean by shift and the smoke will change (listen to the change of tone as I shift and watch how the smoke gets different), and you can see me roll out…
BTW, this is on cheesy radials.

actually, this one is very similar and from the same day, I’m just in the far lane.